Trump removes top coronavirus watchdog, widens attack on inspectors general

By Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice

 

U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a "small business relief update" conference call virtual event with banking executives to discuss the U.S. government's rescue program for businesses hurt by the coronavirus, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 7, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump removed the inspector general who was to oversee the government's $2.3 trillion coronavirus response, the spokeswoman for the inspector general's office said on Tuesday, fueling concerns in Congress about how his administration would manage the package.

 

It was the Republican president's most recent maneuver to seize control over his administration's handling of the coronavirus epidemic and attack inspectors general, the federal watchdogs responsible for safeguarding agencies against waste, fraud and abuse.

 

Glenn Fine, acting inspector general for the Department of Defense, was named last week to chair a committee acting as a sort of uber-watchdog over the response, including health policy and the massive economic relief package, the largest in U.S. history.

 

But Trump has since designated the Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general to be the new acting Pentagon inspector general, a spokeswoman said. Fine, who named 11 other IGs to the committee last week, is no longer on the watchdog committee.

 

Because Fine is no longer acting inspector general at the Pentagon, he is not eligible for the role overseeing the emergency coronavirus package, known as the Cares Act.

 

Politico first reported the ouster.

 

Congressional Democrats said Fine's removal, less than a week after his appointment, strengthened their determination to conduct strict oversight of the massive spending package passed last month.

 

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it "part of a disturbing pattern of retaliation" by Trump.

 

"We will continue to exercise our oversight to ensure that this historic investment of taxpayer dollars is being used wisely and efficiently to help workers and families," she said in a statement.

 

The fiscal stimulus bill is unleashing a flood of money for families and businesses, and has created three watchdog groups consisting of federal officials and lawmakers.

 

Pelosi announced a fourth oversight body, a select House committee, last week.

 

On Friday, the White House said Trump intended to nominate Jason Abend, a senior policy adviser at the Customs and Border Protection office, to be inspector general at the Pentagon.

 

The White House also announced Trump intended to nominate Brian Miller, a White House lawyer and former inspector general at the General Services Administration, to be special inspector general for pandemic recovery, responsible for overseeing the Treasury Department's handling of funds.

 

Since then, Trump has mounted several broadsides against inspectors general.

 

On Tuesday, he accused, without evidence, the Health Department's inspector general of having produced a "fake dossier" on hospitals suffering crippling shortages amid he coronavirus outbreak.

 

On Friday, Trump fired the intelligence community's inspector general, who was involved in the events leading to his impeachment.

 

(Reporting by Lisa Lambert and Makini Brice; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Susan Heavey and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Heather Timmons, David Gregorio and Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-08

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A post using a trolling representation of Donald Trump's name has been removed. 

 

And a post trolling about Thailand's anti corruption commission has been removed. 

Edited April 8, 20206 yr by metisdead

Trump continues to out Trump himself!

 

3rd Covid-19 test yet?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Since then, Trump has mounted several broadsides against inspectors general.

 

On Tuesday, he accused, without evidence,

Standard operating procedure for trump. 

Wouldn't America be better off if Trump focused on leadership in preference to settling scores? Lashing out at people who are trying to do their jobs in trying circumstances - has he regressed to his reality TV days? I'm hopeful American voters remember how he has cost American lives and jobs by downplaying coronavirus in the early stages. If I was the Democrat opponent, I'd be replaying TV clips of Trump at that time until the last vote was cast.

10 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Wouldn't America be better off if Trump focused on leadership in preference to settling scores? Lashing out at people who are trying to do their jobs in trying circumstances - has he regressed to his reality TV days? I'm hopeful American voters remember how he has cost American lives and jobs by downplaying coronavirus in the early stages. If I was the Democrat opponent, I'd be replaying TV clips of Trump at that time until the last vote was cast.

Wouldn't America be better off if Democrats focused on leadership in preference to settling scores? Lashing out at people who are trying to do their jobs in trying circumstances. I'm hopeful American voters remember how they cost American lives and jobs by downplaying coronavirus in the early stages.

While Trump was setting up the task force at the end of January, Democrats were just too busy trying to impeach him, and calling him a racist for closing air travel from China.

The botched response to covid19 is beeing covered up he probably told trump the truth and trump dident like it

Go Trump go. Your antics give so many of us (non Americans) so much mirth and merriment in these times of darkness. You are truly the gift that keeps giving. 

38 minutes ago, Thailand said:

3rd Covid-19 test yet?

Not sure it's Covid-19 testing Trump needs....

The haters are up early today, obediently answering the dog whistle.

2 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

The haters are up early today, obediently answering the dog whistle.

Naaa just stating the obvious 

Trump is just installing people who will look out for the interest of those American people and businesses that are to receive the stimulus money. Trump will not continue with bureaucrats who believe in Process - not results. Trump is installing people who will not assist in pouring money into rat holes that benefit leftist Democrat programs

Draining the swamp. You can tell a lot about someone by who they <deleted> off. And Trump is pissing off all the right people.

32 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

The haters are up early today, obediently answering the dog whistle.

What some do not understand is Trump is the boss and can hire/fire whomever he pleases. 

 

MAGA 

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Wouldn't America be better off if Trump focused on leadership in preference to settling scores? Lashing out at people who are trying to do their jobs in trying circumstances - has he regressed to his reality TV days? I'm hopeful American voters remember how he has cost American lives and jobs by downplaying coronavirus in the early stages. If I was the Democrat opponent, I'd be replaying TV clips of Trump at that time until the last vote was cast.

You and me both

1 hour ago, Crazy Alex said:

Draining the swamp. You can tell a lot about someone by who they <deleted> off. And Trump is pissing off all the right people.

A bit hard to drain the swamp when you are the swamp!

2 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Wouldn't America be better off if Democrats focused on leadership in preference to settling scores? Lashing out at people who are trying to do their jobs in trying circumstances. I'm hopeful American voters remember how they cost American lives and jobs by downplaying coronavirus in the early stages.

While Trump was setting up the task force at the end of January, Democrats were just too busy trying to impeach him, and calling him a racist for closing air travel from China.

What colour is the sky where you live? Watching that freak show program Tiger King it is staggering the parallels you can see between trump and joe exotic in their approach to life and how it has to revolve around them.

2 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Democrats were just too busy trying to impeach him, and calling him a racist for closing air travel from China.

well the impeachment was before covid really started blowing up, and Biden himself said he supported travel restrictions on China, “Joe Biden supports travel bans that are guided by medical experts, advocated by public health officials, and backed by a full strategy,” Kate Bedingfeld, Biden’s deputy campaign manager, told CNN. “Science supported this ban, therefore he did too.”

to whom will the billions go ?

 

out of a job people or the regular  thieves like banks ?

2 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Go Trump go. Your antics give so many of us (non Americans) so much mirth and merriment in these times of darkness. You are truly the gift that keeps giving. 

Emphasis on Non-American...

2 hours ago, JDGRUEN said:

Trump is just installing people who will look out for the interest of those American people and businesses that are to receive the stimulus money. Trump will not continue with bureaucrats who believe in Process - not results. Trump is installing people who will not assist in pouring money into rat holes that benefit leftist Democrat programs

I beg to differ trump is installing people who will allow the top 1% a good swilling at the public trough trump included he doesent want a watch dog  doesent want anyone to see were the money goes imo 

The pressure of the Covid 19 pandemic is showing how badly Trump needs medical help.He has been blundering his way through the last three years but now the mental stress is coming to the fore. Trump will increase his blame game and expand the conspiracy theories he has dreamt up and find any excuse to sack people to take the blame away from him and make other people accountable.He will fight any form of oversight democratic,republican or independant that makes him responsible for his failings. 

1 hour ago, whitewolfchefny said:

Emphasis on Non-American...

America was once a world leader. 

3 hours ago, Crazy Alex said:

Draining the swamp. You can tell a lot about someone by who they <deleted> off. And Trump is pissing off all the right people.

So that’s your idea of leadership, and what a president should do in a crisis of this magnitude, to <deleted> people off?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

It was the Republican president's most recent maneuver to seize control over his administration's

he wants to go at it all ALONE.... he doesn't need anybody, he can govern by himself that way no disappointments and nobody will turn on him, easy peasy

Edited April 8, 20206 yr by Mavideol

Take a listen to Trump's latest press conference .

Bizarre,  even for this nut job.

4 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Go Trump go. Your antics give so many of us (non Americans) so much mirth and merriment in these times of darkness. You are truly the gift that keeps giving. 

It is a shame though that because of ineptitude thousands are now dead.

4 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Wouldn't America be better off if Democrats focused on leadership in preference to settling scores? Lashing out at people who are trying to do their jobs in trying circumstances. I'm hopeful American voters remember how they cost American lives and jobs by downplaying coronavirus in the early stages.

While Trump was setting up the task force at the end of January, Democrats were just too busy trying to impeach him, and calling him a racist for closing air travel from China.

Are you referring to the man who said>>Its only the 'flu?""

When 15 cases he said "Next week it will be zero"/

We will be back to normal at Easter?? What date is this now.

When informed about the rate of contagion said on TV "Oh I didn't know that"

 

Let's wait and see how the health disaster develops as Donald “Jenius” Trump, the man who lies faster than his shadow, who said the Covid-19 was a flu that would disappear in no time, that would be cured in no time, that hot weather would eliminate in no time....., continues on his destructive path.

He treats his crew like Tampons,,, use & throw away.

This may just come back & bite him where it hurts